Brussels, 17/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Commission has announced a further EUR 9.25 million for humanitarian operations in Afghanistan from ECHO's budget. The money will be used to facilitate the return of former refugees from neighbrouging countries (basic food and non-food essentials, shelter, medical aid and teaching training) and for refugees and internally displaced people living in camps (water/sanitation supplies, healthcare and actions to boost awareness of unexploded mines and bombs). ECHO's implementing partners for these operations are the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organisation for Migration and NGOs. This aid takes the total aid for Afghanistan from ECHO in 2002 to 28.4 million (it totalled EUR 55 million in 2001.)